Masks (episode)
While investigating a rogue comet, the cultural "archive" which was hidden inside begins taking over the Enterprise. Summary The Enterprise is travelling through sector 1156 when they encounter a rogue comet. Counselor Deanna Troi is attending Missis Naisen class and helping the students convey their feelings in their sculptures. Data, who is also attending this class, has finished his sculpture of a PADD. According to Data the dimensions are accurate to a tolerance of 1.3%. Deanna tells him that he obviously has no problem with realism but he needs to work on his imagination and asks him to sculpt something abstract like music. Data is wondering how he can reproduce a sound in clay so Deanna asks him to think what effect sounds have on people, what images the music bring to their minds and then make a sculpture of that thought. Within 15 seconds Data creates a G/treble clef sculpture which prompts Deanna to say "it's a start", then First Officer Will Riker contacts him and tells him to report to the bridge. The Enterprise has encountered a rogue comet which is not on any of the Federation starcharts it appears to have originated from the Darcey system, over 2 sectors away, and it seems to have been travelling for more than 78 million years. Picard tells Data to begin a full sensor analysis and to send his findings to the Federation Astrophysical survey. While scanning the comet the bridge is illuminated with a strange, bright, ambient light which gradually fades away. This seems to be a sensor echo caused by a distortion in the comet's inner core. After configuring the sensors for a low intensity sweep the scan resumes. First scans reveal that the comet consists of an icy mantel surrounded by gaseous hydrogen and helium, the comet core seems to be made out of heavier elements. In Deanna's quarters Beverly sees a strange object. When she asks what it is Deanna tells her that she has no idea, she's never seen this object before. Beverly thinks Will put it there but Deanna tells here that the object is not Will's style. When Beverly and Deanna leave the room a strange symbol appears on the object. When Data attends the next sculpture class, Deanna notices that he made a mask and asks how he made it. Data tells her he used his imagination and for some reason the image of the mask appeared in his mind. Deanna then asks if he was in her room because the symbol on his mask resembles the image on the object that appeared in her room. Their conversation is interrupted by Eric who asks them if they can do something about his terminal because it is not working properly, strange symbols are moving around on the screen. In Main Engineering Data, Commander Riker and Geordi begin to investigate the strange symbols which are not listed in the Federation linguistics database. Geordi has found that the strange symbols were downloaded into the Enterprise computer core and are reconfiguring their systems. Further investigation reveals that the sensor array and replicator systems were used to download the symbols. Riker asks if the sensors have something to do with it since they have been scanning the comet for the last 18 hours. Geordi tells him that they still don't know what caused the sensor echo, so Riker asks him if they can use the phasers to melt the comet's outer shell. When Geordi asks Data about their idea, he tells them that he recognize the symbols. Using a widespread phaser beam Lieutenant Worf evaporates the comet's outer shell. Picard asks Data what they are looking at when a scan reveals that the object is over 78 million years old. The object appears to be nearly solid and composed of fortanium and several unknown materials. Geordi tells them that the object is definitely responsible for the strange symbols, it used their sensor beam as a carrier wave to transmit information into the Enterprise's replicators and computer systems. When Picard asks why it is doing this, Data responds that he thinks it's an informational archive. Geordi tells him that the object has a repetitive node configuration so it could be a database of some kind. Data thinks he might be in contact with the object. To determine if this is the case he recommends a level 1 diagnostic of his positronic net. In his ready room Picard is investigating several artifacts when Riker tells him that they have confined the system corruption but the alien symbols are still in their computer systems. Riker believes that the artifacts are primitive and serve no purpose. Picard thinks that they are for ceremonial purposes and are deceptively primitive because only an advanced technological society could have build the object they've encountered. Riker asks if Data's theory that the object is some sort of library could be correct. Picard states this might be possible but it seems to do more than simply store information. Riker notices that he has seen the compass like symbol on the artifact Picard is holding more than once. Picard tells him that he seen another small, u-shaped symbol all over the ship. It seems to always be in the background but he has no idea what it represents. With Geordi's help Data is performing a level 1 diagnostic of his positronic net when he experiences a curious sensation -- some kind of impulse. He asks Geordi how it feels like when a person is losing their mind. When Data cannot explain what is going on Geordi decides to disconnect him from the main computer. Checking Data's positronic net he discovers strange connections. When Data turns his head to Geordi he sees a strange symbol on his forehead while he says "Masaka is awakening" When Picard enters Main Engineering, Data tells him that he has been waiting for him. Picard asks what he wants and Data answers "Masaka is awakening". Picard then asks if he is Masaka and Data tells him that he is Ihat and that Commander Data is gone. Picard calls for Counselor Troi and asks Ihat where he came from. Ihat tells him that he comes from Mesaka city and that there are no others like him. Picard asks Ihat if he can get to know Masaka and speak with her. Ihat tells him to leave this place before Mesaka finds them. When Troi enters Main Engineering Ihat thinks that she is Mesaka and kneels, and with a totally different voice he tells her that he is hers. Picard decides to confine Data to his quarters. During a briefing Geordi tells of behaviour nodes that he found in Data's positronic net and that he believes the archive is using Data to create different people and the transformation is still ongoing. Deanna tells him that Data has the android equivalent of multiple personality disorder and because the transformation is still in process there is no way of telling how many will emerge. Picard asks Geordi to find a way to access the archive, while he tries to learn more from the people inside Data. Picard asks Data if he can speak to Ihat. During their conversation Ihat mentions that Masaka is a queen who spends most of her time sleeping and it is better not to wake her. Picard suggests keeping her asleep but Ihat tells him that only Korgano can do that. When Picard asks where he can find Korgano Data changes into another person. The archive activates a tractor beam and is sends an energy pulse overriding the Enterprise control systems at the same time Ten Forward reports an emergency which Worf investigates. In Data's quarters Ihat tells Picard that Masaka is awake. When Worf and his security team arrives in Ten Forward they discover multiple artifacts. Geordi, Deanna and Picard are investigating these artifacts when Deanna finds a sun symbol. Picard tells her that it represents Masaka when he sees a small u-shaped symbol on the back of the artifact. Geordi has finished his scan and tells Picard that the artifacts where not beamed to the Enterprise, the matter in Ten Forward was transformed to form the artifacts and bit by bit the Enterprise is also being transformed. Worf informs them that part of deck 12 is now a aqueduct. Picard believes there is no alternative other then to destroy the archive, but the weapons control system is not functioning. Worf tells him they can re-configure a photon torpedo for a manual launch. Geordi and Worf are busy reconfiguring the torpedo when the power system stops working. When Geordi opens the torpedo he sees snakes. At the same time part of main engineering is transformed and they are forced to leave. During a briefing on the bridge Geordi establishes that the archive has transformed 20% of the ship. Doctor Beverly Crusher tells them that the archive can reorder and transform molecular structures into anything it wants -- the alien plant life and artifacts being made in that way. Picard does not want that the entire Enterprise transformed into an alien city. Geordi tells him that he has managed to access the archive via the same energy beam. All he needs to do now is locate and access the transformation program. Picard thinks that the answer to doing that lies with Mesaka. Picard visits Data again who seems to be an old man. He asks the old man personality to tell him more about Masaka how he can speak with her. The old man's personality tells Picard that only Korgano can talk to Masaka then Data changes into Ihat. Ihat tells Picard that he must build Masaka's temple to talk to her, and to do that he must use a specific sign. Data changes from Ihat back into the old man before he has time to finish explaining what sign must be used. Picard tries to get the old man to tell him the sign he must use. The old man tells him, "A line as the unending horizon, a curve as the rolling hill side, a point as a distant bird, a ray as the rising sun" Back on the bridge Geordi locates the transformation program but is concerned that the Enterprise will turn into "a big chunk of rock" when they use the symbol. Geordi, Deanna and Worf are together with Picard when he asks Riker to enter the symbol into the transformation program. Once entered the entire deck transforms into Masaka's temple where Deanna finds the sun and u-shaped symbol together, unlike the other artifacts where those symbols are separated from each other. Picard speculates that those symbols are counterparts and asks Deanna and Worf to look for more u-shaped symbols. In the temple Deanna has found the most prominent u-shaped symbol, it is bigger than the sun symbol. Picards thinks that their relationship is like the sun and the moon, Masaka and Korgano switching positions being similar to the sun setting and the moon rising. Because Ihat and the others seemed to not be frightened by Korgano, Picard wants to find Korgano and see if he can force Masaka to leave. Suddenly the temple shakes and when they look up they see Data, now changed into Masaka. When Picard introduces himself, Masaka tells him to go away. Geordi has found Korgano's moon symbol in the archive and Picard tells him to enter the symbol into the transformation program which causes a mask to appear. Picard thinks that the archive's culture is based on symbolism so he wants to pose as Korgano. Deanna has some reservations about his plan but they only have 2 hours left before the ship is totally transformed. When Picard enters the temple wearing the mask, Masaka recognizes him as Korgano. Masaka thought she was alone and did not have to share the sky with anyone. Picard, posing as Korgano, tells her that without him she is not complete, that she lives for the chase like himself and that she is beginning to get tired because it is difficult to brighten the sky forever. Masaka says that she is getting sleepy and tells Korgano to begin the hunt again. At that moment Masaka falls asleep and the entire ship is transformed back to its original state. When Picard asks Data if he is all right Data answers that he is not entirely certain what happened and wonders if he has been dreaming again. Geordi is able to disable the transformation program and Starfleet is dispatching an archaeological team to study the archive further. Troi later finds Data painting the mask of Masaka. Background Information Links and References Guest Stars *Rickey D'Shon Collins as Eric Burton References :fortanium; sector 1156 Category:TNG episodes de:Der Komet nl:Masks